FLOUR FORTIFICATION
Wheat is an important cereal crop and together with maize and rice account for 94% of total cereal consumption worldwide. Rice and wheat together accounted for 11.05 kg of monthly per capita cereal consumption in the rural sector and 9.55 kg in the urban.
Fortification of industrially processed wheat flour, when appropriately implemented, is an effective, simple, and inexpensive strategy for supplying vitamins and minerals to the diets of large segments of the world’s population
Wheat Flour fortification
Wheat Flour fortification is a preventive food-based approach to improve micronutrient status of populations. Over time that can be integrated with other interventions in the efforts to reduce vitamin and mineral deficiencies when identified as public health problems.
Hence fortification of this staple food is gaining momentum especially as it is strongly backed by the scientific panel on fortification, medical experts and the academia.
General Benefits of Fortification:
(1) Wheat flour fortification is a safe and effective means of improving public health.
(2) Fortified wheat flour is an excellent vehicle for adding nutrients to the diet as wheat flour is commonly consumed by all people.
(3) Cost effective method to prevent nutritional deficiencies.
(4) During milling of wheat, nutrient losses take place. Fortification helps in adding back these nutrients.
(5) Iron, Folic acid and Vitamin B12 when added to wheat flour is important for fighting anaemia and blood formation.